OT: killing locust

Dig to the root and drive in brass nail/screw???

Andrew F in Australia

>

easy solution

Bill Tindall, E.TN

>What you describe is an everyday occurrence around here in the land of locust trees. What ever sprouts up, cut it off and paint the fresh cut with full strength "Brush Killer" available at any farm store in these parts in quart quantities for $20. It will be a mix of 2,4-D like chemicals, usually three components. Had you poured some on the fresh surface of the ground stump your troubles would be over. I don't think it will work to apply to a dead/dry surface.

Left to its own the roots will continue to sprout for years.

Bill, I deal with all srts of trees like this....

Michael Stadulis, in Gloucester County, NJ

>Its important to understand that trees stock up on energy rerves later in summer......when they stop growing. When the leaves turn its too late. In any case, I've been using professional strength RoundUp for my trees and it works all the time.

1. cut the tree about 8" above grade

2. get your battery powered drill and drill as large a hole in the pith as the sapling size will allow and a few holes radially around the outside of the tree as if you were making an attempt at placing branches on it.

3.use a syringe or dropper and fill the holes w/ RoundUp;

4. cover everything with a piece of aluminum foil to keep out any rain fopr a few weeks;

5. next spring cut off at the ground and it will not come back...guaranteed.

Mike

What does the brass nail/screw do???

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>Is there a chemical reaction that kills the plant? First time I've ever heard of that idea.

Re: OT: killing the EVIL locust tree

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Hi Bill:

I too have had experience with the dreaded downed locust trees from Hades. In fact, I have almost the identical problem you are having right now myself. Mike and Bill are right...chemicals (I use Roundup) will work, if you get to it soon enough. With my most recent experience, the tree came down in the winter and I said to myself, surely I won't have any problems with this...but now, two years later, I am still fighting the sprouts all over the place...and wished I had done the Roundup thing in the dead of winter. In fact, I've been gone on vacation and just arrived home to find new locust sprouts on my front lawn - 20 feet from the stump.

Personally I may still try Mikes idea (which I've used in the past) and drill the biggest, deepest holes (multiple) I can in the stump and pour full-strength Round up in it and cover it as Mike suggested. I did this to another black locust stump some years back and while I did get some strouts the following year (and one or two this year, too), they were much more manageable than the one I didn't treat.

Good luck. The only thing worse than a downed locust is bamboo..which I have also thanks to a thoughtful neighbor.

Regards -

Dave

Brush Killer more effective

Bill Tindall, E.TN

>Roundup is not the best stuff for woody plants. It ofter will just "burn" the leaves off and the hardy woody plant will return. One of the "stronger" 2,4-D like formulations is more effective. But if you already own Roundup then it could be better than having to buy something else.

Re: Brush Killer more effective

Miles

>It might be worth remembering how the sap flows in a tree trunk, because you want to get the poison _down_ into the roots. The roots gather water and supply it to the leaves _up_ through the sapwood, and the leaves return the favour with sugars to feed the roots, that descends in the outer layers (phloem) of the stem/trunk. So to transport your poison most effectively, it might be best to introduce it into the outer layers only. Drilling holes into the middle of the (pretty impermeable) heartwood just wastes the toxin, and from the sapwood it has to migrate to the phloem layer before travelling down to the roots.

Miles (remembering botany lectures from 20 years ago, so please forgive my lack of refined explanation!)

Re: You did well, Miles

Dale Lenz

>The "rule" is to put the concerate herbicide near the cambium. Of course if you are putting it on a thumb size sapling, I'm not going to use an artist brush, just swab it on.

I personally would use 2,4-D, in the 41% formulation. Many people hear 2,4-D and automatically think: Agent Orange, 2,4,5-T, differenct critter.

As the tree begins to store engery for next year, about this time of the year, we have often recommending Tordon, A.G. Picaram (sp?). But, since glyphosate (AG in Round-up) is so inexpensive now, I'd try that. Going off of my memory, the 41% glyphosate is mixed at 1:10 for a fresh stump cut treatment. Round-up and other followers have so many mixes out on the market, read the label prior to application for the proper mixture.

Roundup

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>The roundup at the recommended concentration (not very) has, so far, mainly wilted the leaves but not discouraged the growth (they just pop up somewhere else the next day - wish I had as much energy as this locust plant does). The Roundup folks themselves say that spraying locust leaves won't kill the plant, because not enough gets to the roots. They recommend digging down in the area where the stump was and treating the daylights out of every root we find there, with the full-strength (no dilution) stuff. We're waiting to hear from the tree service that misled us, and plan to suggest to them that this might be a real good thing for them to do.